ERIE, Pa. – Sophomore guard Malik Miller (Farrell, Pa./Farrell) broke a tie with two seconds left to give IUP men's basketball a 67-65 victory over Mercyhurst, ending the Lakers' undefeated mark at home Saturday afternoon.
 
Miller collected a blocked shot on IUP's offensive end with just seconds left, converting the put-back to give the Crimson Hawks their fifth straight win.
 
The game was tight throughout the second half, with IUP taking a 65-62 lead with 22 seconds left on a pair of free throws from Anthony Glover, Jr. (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) Mercyhurst responded with a layup-and-one from leading-scorer Lorenzo Collier, tying things up at 65-65 with 14 seconds to go. Collier finished with 18 points.
 
That set up IUP's final possession, with Glover's layup blocked by Dontae Williams, leading to Miller's game-winner.
 
The Crimson Hawks improved to 16-5 overall with the victory and remained in first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with a 12-2 league record.
 
The IUP victory also put a stop to the Lakers dominance at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC) this season. Mercyhurst entered with the weekend with an 8-0 home record, defeating opponents by more than 16 points per game. The Lakers are now 9-9 overall and 6-8 in the PSAC.
 
Miller finished with 14 points on the afternoon, going 6-of-12 from the field in 25 minutes off the bench. He rebounded after a rough first half, going 5-of-7 with 12 of his points in the final 20 minutes of game action.
 
The game included five ties and 12 lead changes, with Mercyhurst holding a lead for more than 22 minutes. The Crimson Hawks held a six-point lead twice in the second half, including a 63-57 lead with 1:10 left.
 
Junior point guard Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) continued his consistent play, scoring a team-best 20 points with five assists and just two turnovers in 32 minutes. He shot 7-of-12 from the floor, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 4-of-4 from the foul line. Over his last four games, Lombardi is averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 assists with a 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
Up next
The game was the first of two straight on the road for the Crimson Hawks, who will travel to Slippery Rock (17-4, 11-4 PSAC) on Wednesday. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. at the Morrow Fieldhouse.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.